Page 88 of Oracles Always Win

“Fanout, everyone,”Gagesaid. “We’relooking for the cat.”

“Acat?”Davinalooked confused.

“Asupernatural cat,”Gageclarified. “Hisname isPawsand he talks.”

Davina’selegantly plucked eyebrows rose. “Okaythen.”

Theneveryone started callingPaws’ name and searching around the inn for my grandfather’s strange cat.

Chapter Thirty-One

GAGE

“Paws!”Jakesounded frantic as he called the cat’s name.We’dscoured the yard around the inn and hadn’t found any trace of the creature yet.Whenwe rounded the corner to the back of the building,Jakeeyed the skeletal remains of his back dining room.Hisface twisted, betraying his horror at what might have happened. “Doyou think he got trapped inside?”

Isighed. “I’llgo in and see ifIcan find him.”

Jakelifted his chin. “I’mgoing with you.”

“No, it’s too dangerous.”

“It’sjust as dangerous for you as it is for me.”

“Hasn’the told you?”Davinacame over to us. “He’spretty much indestructible.”

Jakefrowned and fisted his hands. “No, he isn’t.He’stold me about the stupid pact you each made.Ifyou can kill him, so can other things.Andfor the record, we’re going to have a long talk about the deal you all made.Violenceisn’t the answer.”

“That’sdifferent.”Davinapaled.Shehated talking about the promise she made to me.Theyall did.

Jakeput his hands on his hips and scowled at her.Sincehe was distracted,Iseized the opportunity to open a small portal.WhenIstepped into the dining room,Itook in the destruction.Thedamage didn’t seem so bad today, maybe because it was no longer a shock.

Thesoles of my shoes crunched over debris asIfollowed a sound coming from the kitchen.Thegas to the building had been turned off the day before, soIwasn’t concerned about getting caught in another explosion.ThedeeperIwent into the building, the heavier the scent of smoke and ash became.Itwould take a lot of time and money to get this place habitable again.

Thedoor to the kitchen was hanging off its hinges at an odd angle, but it still opened whenIpushed on it.Justinside,Ifound the cat gorging himself on the ruined remnants of the potluck.Icounted the empty plates.Heclearly didn’t seem bothered by the bits of glass and ash and other detritus in the food.Andweren’t most of these bowls and containers in the other room when the bombs went off?Howdid he get them in here?

Ireally needed to have a talk with the creature, because in all my years—nearly two millennia worth—I’dnever come across a being like him.Ihad no idea what he was, but he was clearly very powerful and perhaps as indestructible asIwas.

“Whatare you doing?”Idemanded of him.

Pawsjolted at the sound of my voice.

“What?”Pawssquawked indignantly. “Thefood was going to waste.”

“Jakeis worried about you.Didn’tyou hear us calling your name?”

Pawshuffed, casting a glance over his questionable feast.Thenhe shook out his fur and sat back on his haunches. “Ican look after myself.”

“Heis worried,”Ireiterated sharply.

“Fine.I’mcoming,I’mcoming,” the cat muttered.Thenhe licked one of his paws and drew it over his face a couple of times.Hisidea of getting a move on was different from mine.

“Anytime now.”

Pawsnarrowed his eyes at me. “Well, get on with it.”

“Youwant me to open a portal for you.”Imean,Ihad been planning on it, but his imperious attitude was irritating.

Pawsshook his body, making his fur fluff up. “Ittook me hours to get the soot out of my fur.I’mnot doing that again whenIdon’t have to.”